About this artwork

Made after a painting by Samuel Lane of 1822, this print shows Telford seated at a table with one of his major structures, the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, behind him. As ‘General Agent, Surveyor, Engineer, Architect and Overlooker’ of the Ellesmere Canal, Telford was responsible for the construction of the aqueduct which carries the canal over the River Dee. Completed in 1805, this ‘waterway in the sky’ required a rigorous knowledge of materials in order to stand 126 feet high at its centre and carry a pioneering cast-iron trough across a span of over 1000 feet. Sir Walter Scott described the structure as the most impressive work of art he had ever seen. Telford was also involved in the construction of many other canals, roads and bridges both in the UK and abroad.

Updated before 2020

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William Raddon

William Raddon